Shuttler Jwala Gutta is not the one to shy away from a grand gesture. Neither a critical one.
Shuttler Jwala Gutta is not the one to shy away from a grand gesture. Neither a critical one. Both come in the match and a few afterwards when television cameras are on her as she describes her mixed doubles first round victory with partner V Diju as "a good game, a few unforced errors and finally, the victory."
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| Jwala Gutta and Viju D during their first round win in the World Championships in Paris yesterday. PIC/AFP |
The Indian pair won their first round 21-6, 14-21, 21-8 at the World Championship yesterday. Gutta and Diju didn't break into a sweat in the first game as they sprinted away for a flattering scoreline of 21-6. Chris Adcock and Gabriella White probably unnerved by the tall, willowy Gutta putting away shots at the net, akin to swatting flies.
As Diju forces an error from White, Gutta looks into the crowd, right fist clenched, and eyes ablaze.
Things go wrong in the second game. "Sometimes a game can just go to pieces," Gutta says. "We had it in control and then we just blew it up. I think we should have steadied our game (Diju standing nearby nods vigorously). But they did play well and I think they deserved to win the second game." Suddenly, as an after thought she says, "Well, honestly, I think we gave the game away, rather than losing it."
After Adcock smashes mid-court to take the second game and tie the score at 1-1, Gutta bangs her fist against her forehead. Probably 5-6 times, before coach Pullela Gopichand walks into their corner and explains the reasons for the second game debacle. In the decider, both Diju and Gutta justify their ninth seeding at the World Championships.
In front of the TV cameras, Gutta is extremely relaxed "Rankings are never a pressure point. Saina (Nehwal) and I think alike. We revel in our play and don't bother about the pressure. It's not the first time we have been ranked at a World Championships.
"I don't want to think about the quarter-finals or a semi-final," she says, a smile lightning up her face. "For me it's simply one match at a time."
